The E-PL5 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 14-42mm F/3.5 II R Lens (Black) from Olympus is the latest edition to the Olympus PEN E-PL series of mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras. Included with this camera is the M. Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5 II lens.
A 16MP Live MOS sensor provides this camera with DSLR-like image quality and the TruePic VI image processor brings with it fast response time and accurate colors and contrast. Its mirrorless design allows for a compact body and a large line of compatible interchangeable lenses offers the flexibility to capture any type of shot you can imagine.
With an ISO range up to 25600 and In-body Image Stabilization, low-light photography is delivered with saturated colors and little noise. Sequential shooting of 8 frames per second and the Olympus F.A.S.T. Auto Focus system equal high speed performance and with the assistance of Face and Eye Detection, portraits and group shots are focused and exposed automatically to produce ideal shots.
Auto focus and shutter release can be controlled by touching the LCD screen. Set the focus on your subject by touching that spot on the LCD and the camera will hold that focus until you touch the LCD again to release the shutter. The LCD itself is a 3.0" Flip Portrait display that can be tilted up or down for creative composition or to control glare and reflection when shooting in bright sunlight.
The E-PL5 is capable of shooting Full 1080i HD video and can playback that HD video on an HDTV with a simple connection to its HDMI output. It also has a multi-purpose accessory port for connecting accessories, such as the included FL-LM1 flash unit.
Twelve in-camera art filters can add creative flourish to your images. Soft Focus, Grainy Film and Pin Hole, for example, are enhanced by filter variations, art effects, and bracketing. This creative palette can be used in all shooting modes including while filming HD movies. iAuto is also a part of the package and it's there for you when you want the camera to recognize what it is seeing and automatically take the best photo possible. Also featured is Olympus' Dust Reduction System which keeps the camera's sensor clean by vibrating a Supersonic Wave Filter every time the camera is turned on.
Along with compact form, interchangeable lenses are an important advantage to mirrorless photography and Olympus provides a wide array of Micro Four Thirds lenses to fit the E-PL5, including the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R which is bundled with this camera. This 3X zoom lens, designed specifically for Micro Four Thirds mounts, has an overall length of just 1.9" (48mm). Comprising 8 elements in 7 groups, the lens has 7 aperture blades that create natural background blur. This is a versatile lens, covering a wide-angle to moderate telephoto focal length of 14-42mm (35mm equivalent: 28-84mm).